This invention relates generally to a structural building system. In particular, the present invention relates to a structural system for withstanding high wind loadings.
The ability of architects, engineers, builders, and contractors to supply quality, affordable houses and buildings that meet customer design demands and satisfy local building codes has become a major challenge using conventional materials and techniques. The high number of hurricanes in 2004 has highlighted the need for structural systems for homes and other buildings which are designed and tested to withstand high winds without structural damage. However, the realities of wind exposure and economics can make a system which is designed for the highest wind loading prohibitively expensive in areas where the wind loads are less severe. While custom engineering of homes for different locations can be expensive, conventional wood stud walls using rectangular studs, sills, and headers have shown their limitations over the last century.
Further need for new construction materials has arisen from the prevalence of mold and the dwindling supply of skilled labor. Problems with black mold and other fungi within buildings, the impact on the health of building occupants, and the infestation of virulent insects, particularly in the south, have created new challenges for wood, the dominant building material. On the other hand, the dwindling number of skilled tradesman in construction has placed significant limits on the use and adoption of other construction materials, primarily steel.
Wood materials have been augmented in recent years with engineered components. The components are selected and assembled to meet specific structural and building code requirements at an affordable price. Along with the performance characteristics of the components, the material of the components resists mold and any efforts by termites and other insects to attack and to infest a structure. Further, the material of the components can self-extinguish any residual combustion once an ignition source is removed.